Running in Colombia (and Brazil)

While in Colombia I was able to complete two runs, and though in two very different parts of the country, they had several similarities. My first choice of runs in Bogota was the national park, but as we were staying quite far away, I found a canal to run along near our apartment. I was hoping for a nice jog along a river, but what I got was a smoggy, gasping run along a garbage filled flood-control system. I think part of the gasping was due to being a bit out of shape, but a lot was definitely due to the many cars driving by and the 2600 metres of altitude. All considered, it was a thoroughly unpleasant run.

I hoped to make up for the previous disappointing run when visiting the Amazon in southern Colombia. Leticia is a city that borders Tabatinga, Brazil, and there is no border control between the two cities, This meant I could bag two countries in one run! While the altitude here made running a lot easier Leticia shared a common component with my run in Bogota: the wacky, unpredictable, and sometimes downright dangerous pavement. Running in Colombia was similar to trail running in Vancouver in that you constantly needed to be on the look out underfoot. As soon as you take your eyes off the ground you’re going to catch your foot on a piece of concrete sticking up, sink into one of the many potholes, or roll your ankle on the often random angles provided by various ramps, pavers, and piles of dirt. While you’re looking out for all these obstacles, be sure to keep your eyes open for any motorcycles that may be riding on the sidewalk as well – I saw several!

Needless to say, I didn’t see any other runners on the road here, but it was kind of fun to run to Brazil and back.